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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. ball — a dance
  3. degree — from a university
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. fall — to drop
  6. ball — a great time
  7. swing — in golf
  8. degree — temperature
  9. can — a tin
  10. craft — boats
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. degree — an amount
  13. hand — in cards
  14. craft — a skill
  15. swing — to play on
  16. can — to be able to
  17. hand — help
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. can — a tin
  21. fall — to drop
  22. fall — the season
  23. swing — music
  24. craft — a handicraft

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com